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Opportunities for e-delivery in Canada
InsIghts frOm Our InvestOr COmmunICatIOns studyJune 2013
PAGE 1
This sTudy is bAsEd on onlinE survEys comPlETEd by morE ThAn 1,000 cAnAdiAn invEsTors.
Broadridge financial solutions (Canada), Inc. is a technology services and outsourcing company focused on global capital markets. We are the market leader enabling secure and accurate processing of information for communications and securities transactions among issuers, investors and financial intermediaries.
© 2013 Broadridge financial solutions (Canada), Inc. Broadridge and the Broadridge logo are registered trademarks of Broadridge financial solutions (Canada), Inc.
table of Contents
Summary
It’s about choice 2
IntroductIon
Investor communications have never been so dynamic 3
e-delIvery
defining the opportunity in Canada 4
Key FIndIngS
What investors really want 5
the evolutIon contInueS
from notice and access to Quick reference (Qr) codes 8
coSt SavIngS
another reason to think about e-delivery 12
how the research was conducted 13
PAGE 2
summary
It’s about choice
the availability of electronic solutions, the regulatory framework within
which to offer them and an increasing investor appetite for digital
information has created new opportunities in investor communications.
today, companies can provide information to investors when, where, and
how they want it – and that makes for more engaged investors.
that’s never been more important. as governance, transparency and
accountability in capital markets become more closely scrutinized and more
rigorously measured, engaging investors, encouraging voter participation
and demonstrating leading communication practices is vital.
here are the key take-aways:
sending information to investors the way they want to receive it encourages more robust investor engagement.
Investors have adopted online and mobile communications as convenient, efficient and environmentally responsible alternatives to paper.
Proven and trusted e-delivery platforms already exist, making the deployment of alternative delivery efficient and extremely cost effective.
Preference management makes communicating with investors according to the investor’s preference – either paper or electronically – efficient and cost effective.
PAGE 3
IntrOduCtIOn
Investor communications have never been so dynamic
regulations are increasingly complex and there is increasing pressure
to reduce communications costs while effectively engaging investors.
at the same time, investor preferences for how, when and what kind
of information they receive are evolving rapidly. as the transaction
and information hub of our industry, Broadridge is supporting market
participants by developing solutions and services that enable more choice
– for corporate issuers, banks, brokers, dealers, and, ultimately, investors.
to better understand where emerging opportunities in investor
communications lie, we retained Ipsos reid1 to conduct online surveys
with over 1,000 retail investors – both shareholders and unitholders.
What we learned is this: investors want choices.
they want to receive information from the companies they invest in by mail, online or both.
they are interested in new options for receiving information and, among certain demographic groups, there is an appetite to leverage mobile platforms for even more dynamic communications.
and here’s what we know: both new regulatory frameworks and innovative
technology-based solutions can help facilitate communication that is
engaging, efficient and cost-effective.
1 Ipsos reid is Canada’s leading provider of public opinion research, and is a research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. Ipsos reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.
PAGE 4
e-deLIvery
defining the opportunity in Canada
technology is driving more efficient communications, greater
cost-effectiveness, and perhaps most significantly, better engagement
with investors.
electronic proxy voting was one of the first technology-based
communication platforms for investors. since 1998, adoption of
e-voting channels has increased from about 37% to over 84% in
2012, contributing significantly to the efficiency of the proxy voting
process, a meaningful reduction in costs to issuers, as well as increased
participation among voters.
more than 4,000 institutional investors and financial advisors
worldwide are using electronic communications and voting platforms.
during the 2012 proxy season in the u.s., institutional investors voted
over 201 billion shares through electronic channels. retail investors are
also adopting e-voting. together, over 95.5% of all shares, retail and
institutional, were voted electronically this past year2.
electronic delivery of proxy materials represents another opportunity
to drive efficiency and cost reductions in the communication process.
In 2012, e-delivery reached an all-time high of 35.4 million security
positions in north america. While e-delivery is well entrenched in the
u.s., there is room to increase participation here in Canada, where only
2.7 million emails were delivered, representing 3% of eligible records.
With this much room for growth in e-delivery in Canada, and given
that the systems to efficiently and cost-effectively deploy e-delivery
already exist, what’s keeping companies and their investors from
leveraging the opportunity?
Our research sheds some light on what investors really want.
2 Includes Proxyedge®, Proxyvote.com, and telephone response system. Proxyedge accounted for over 85% of those votes. source: Broadridge financial solutions, Inc., 2012 Proxy season statistics.
PAGE 5
Key fIndIngs
What investors really want
Our research shows that more than seven in 10 investors say they want
to receive information about their investments.
Of the 90% of investors who receive information about their investments,
more than one in three say they always read the investment information
that is sent to them, while only about one in 10 say they never read the
investment information.
Want to receive information Do not want to receive information
73%
27%
72%
28%
STOCK/SHAREINVESTMENT INFORMATION
MUTUAL FUND INVESTMENT INFORMATION
READERSHIPRECEIVE
74%
25%
2%Never
Sometimes
AlwaysYes
No
90%
6%
Don’tknow 4%
Why equity and mutual fund investors may sign up for online information:
“ It’s a convenient way to receive the information.”
PAGE 6
Of those who receive statements, one in three prefers to receive them
online and over half of the investors who receive statements by both
mail and online prefer to receive them online.
When asked about their likelihood of signing up to receive more
information online (information that is currently available only by mail),
64% of investors said they are either very or somewhat likely to do so –
considerably more than the 30% and 40% who choose online when
asked if they would like to receive all their information by mail or online.
HOW STATEMENTSARE RECEIVED
PREFERENCE FORRECEIVING ONLINE STATEMENTS
52%68%
32%
14%
17%
Mail Online Both
LIKELIHOOD OF SIGNING UP TO RECEIVEMORE INFORMATION ONLINE
40%
64%
36%25%
11%
Very likely
Somewhat likely
Not very likely
Not at all likely
24% }}
KEy FindinGs: What investors really want
Why investors may not sign up for online information:
“ Prefer mail because of security issues.”
PAGE 7
44-51%
DEMOGRAPHICS IMPACT PREFERENCES
60-66%
More likely to always read their statments
78-87%
More likely to receive statements online
18-25%
7-12%
More likely to prefer receiving statements by mail
48-59%
76-82%
More likely to sign up to receiveinformation online
70-76%
56%
More likely to agree that mail is environmentally responsible
20-26%
Prefer receiving statements online
41-52%
18-24%
More likely to own a mobile phone
60-61%
18-31%
More likely to be familiar with Quick Reference (QR) codes
62-69%
15%
demographics affect investor preference for mail or online delivery.
In general, older investors prefer mail, while younger investors prefer
online alternatives.
KEy FindinGs: What investors really want
Why investors may sign up for online information:
“ filing online is easier than filing paper.”
younger Investors (18-24) Older Investors (55+)
PAGE 8
the evOLutIOn COntInues
from notice and access to Quick reference (Qr) Codes
new technologies and regulatory change go hand-in-hand. In fact,
technological evolution relies on – and at the same time allows –
regulatory evolution. together, new regulations and innovative,
technology-based solutions that permit the practical implementation of
new rules are driving efficiency and more robust investor engagement.
On november 29, 2012, the Canadian securities administrators
(Csa) published amendments to national Instrument (nI) 54-101,
which became effective on february 11, 2013. In addition to these
amendments, nI 54-101 introduced notice and access, which gives
issuers another Internet-based delivery model through which investors
can access proxy materials. this means issuers may now mail a lighter
set of materials that excludes the management Information / Proxy
Circular, rather than the traditional proxy package in paper form,
known as full set. this new model should result in meaningful print and
postage savings for issuers. Based on the u.s. experience, issuers who
have used notice and access have realized significant savings and we
anticipate the same for Canadian issuers.
With the introduction of notice and access (in Canada) and an array
of flexible solutions for issuer communications, investors have more
choices than ever before, including material selection, delivery method,
and method of access to information. electronic delivery systems
let investors self-select their preferences, improving their level of
engagement while helping to reduce costs for issuers.
PAGE 9
mobIle platFormS
We asked investors about their propensity to use a mobile application
to cast their proxy votes. Of investors who regularly access the Internet
with their mobile device, approximately one in three would be likely to
use it to vote their shares.
proxyvote®.com and mobIle proxyvote®.com
during the 2012 proxy season, we saw significant adoption of our mobile
Proxyvote.com site in both Canada and the u.s. Proxyvote.com,
our Internet voting platform for retail investors, accounted for over
28 billion shares voted, or nearly twice as many shares voted as by
paper voting forms (15.3 billion shares for Canadian issuers). In addition,
there were over 445,000 votes cast this past season through mobile
Proxyvote.com, a nearly four-fold increase over last season. about 30%
of mobile votes were previously non-voters. mobile Proxyvote.com
allows an array of mobile devices to seamlessly integrate with
Proxyvote.com through a sophisticated graphical interface.
28%}72%}
USE MOBILE APPLICATIONTO CAST PROXY VOTE FREQUENCY
Verylikely
Somewhatlikely
Not verylikely
Not at all likely
60%8%
20%
35%
37%
40%
More like to vote
Not change howoften, just easier/more convenient
57%
43%
Don’t think you wouldvote online using
mobile device
You don’t vote andstill would not vote
ThE EvoluTion conTinuEs: From notice and Access to Qr codes
Why investors may sign up for online information:
“ Online information is available for review anywhere, any time.”
PAGE 10
ThE EvoluTion conTinuEs: From notice and Access to Qr codes
Qr codeS
Quick reference (Qr) codes are incredibly data-rich, and by scanning
them with a smart phone or tablet, investors are immediately directed
to the voting site. among the investors we surveyed, we found that of
those who were likely to vote their shares online, about half are familiar
with Qr codes. and of those familiar with Qr codes, approximately
three in four would use Qr codes to access investment information on
the Internet.
In the 2012 proxy season, Broadridge launched a pilot program
featuring Qr codes on voting forms for six issuers sent to over
1.1 million investors. In 2013, all voter Information forms (vIf) for
Canadian issuers contain a Qr code to encourage further investor
participation and help reduce costs through the use of electronic
communications.
Yes
No
FAMILIARITY WITHQR CODES
USE QR CODES TOACCESS INTERNET
53%
47%
15%
27%
58%
Always
Sometimes
Never
PAGE 11
dIgItal maIl
new integrated delivery platforms like digital mail are innovative
solutions that allow companies to deliver information to their
investors in the form they prefer. In september 2012, Broadridge
launched fluentsm in the u.s., a new service that significantly improves
communications between financial services firms and their investors.
Broadridge fluent enhances customer engagement by enabling firms
to distribute marketing, transactional and regulatory communications
to the investor’s preferred delivery channel with enhanced insight and
interactive capabilities. It builds upon existing print mail and e-delivery
services to support communications across a variety of channels,
including emerging digital mail services. the platform contains a robust
preference and consent management capability allowing intermediaries
to capture investor preferences through any channel and utilize those
preferences for issuer communications.
Currently, we’re working with Canada Post’s eposttm digital mail
platform to deliver fluent to the Canadian marketplace.
tm epost is a trademark or registered trademark of Canada Post Corporation in Canada.
Why investors may sign up for online information:
“ I’m online all the time.”
ThE EvoluTion conTinuEs: From notice and Access to Qr codes
PAGE 12
In 2012, an all-time high of over 36.7% (suppression rate) of all records
processed were delivered electronically or consolidated into a single
delivery as a result of Broadridge’s mail elimination processing and
managed accounts. In total, issuers are realizing growing savings on the
costs of printing and postage: in comparison to the costs of mailing full
packages, for example, these savings exceeded $22.7 million in 2012.
a traditional full set proxy package weighs on average 180 grams. that adds up to a cost of $6.98 per investor – $4.65 for printing, $2.15 for postage and $0.178 for stationery.
a notice and access package on the other hand is about 6” x 9”, weighs 30 grams and costs only $0.25 for printing, $0.63 for postage and $0.108 for stationery. that’s only $0.99.
a cost saving of $5.99 per package is another compelling reason to think about using e-delivery.*
more information about notice and access, including the disclosure and timeline requirements and a savings calculator, can be found at www.noticeandaccess.ca, or by contacting your Broadridge representative. to ensure your company is eligible to use notice and access, please consult your legal counsel.
* the unit savings is based on Broadridge internal data. the median print cost is estimated at $4.65. Postage is calculated at $2.15 and is based on the Broadridge data for the 2012 proxy season.
Why investors may not sign up for online information:
“ If I have it in front of me I am more likely to read it.”
COst savIngs
another reason to think about e-delivery
PAGE 13
how the research was conducted
the objectIveS
the goal of this study was to determine investor views on the disclosure
information they receive from the companies in which they invest. to do
so, we assessed:
Investors’ level of awareness and recall of receiving corporate reports and proxy packages – whether investors opened the material, read the material and voted.
Investors’ inclination toward switching to e-delivery to receive information.
methodology
this report is based in part on an online survey conducted between
may 9, 2012, and may 15, 2012, of 1,003 Canadian investors using
Ipsos reid’s consumer research panel.
Qualified investors were asked about the issuer disclosure information
sent to them and their proxy voting actions, preferences and concerns.
the data collected by Ipsos reid is juxtaposed against actual voting
and proxy delivery statistics (Internet, postal and telephone) collected
by Broadridge in its capacity as the largest supplier of beneficial
shareholder services in north america.
this survey was conducted via the Ipsos I-say Online Panel, Ipsos
reid’s national online panel. the results are based on a sample where
quota sampling and weighting are employed to balance demographics
and ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the actual
Canadian population according to census data. Quota samples with
weighting from the Ipsos online panel provide results that are intended
to approximate a probability sample. an unweighted probability sample
of 1,003, with 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of
error of ± 3%, 19 times out of 20. the margin of error within subgroups
of the sample will be higher.
Why investors may sign up for online information:
“ I do everything online and don’t like to receive mail.”
PAGE 14©©2013 Broadridge financial solutions (Canada), Inc. Broadridge and the Broadridge logo are registered trademarks of Broadridge financial solutions (Canada), Inc.
Broadridge financial solutions (Canada), Inc. is a technology services and outsourcing company focused on global capital markets. We are the market leader enabling secure and accurate processing of information for communications and securities transactions among issuers, investors and financial intermediaries.
for more information about opportunities in e-delivery, contact us
at 1.888.789.7780 or [email protected] or visit:
broadridge.com
chartingthecourse.ca
noticeandaccess.ca
Learn more
Broadridge financial solutions (Canada), Inc. (Broadridge) is an industry leader in the Canadian financial marketplace, facilitating the delivery of proxy communications since 1987. Our services include delivery of securityholder communications and other documents on behalf of corporate issuers, mutual funds and banks, brokers and trust companies, in compliance with industry regulations. We currently support 70 proximate intermediaries representing 230 financial institutions and approximately 3,600 public issuers in Canada, as well as custodians and institutional investors. Broadridge’s global reach also provides u.s. and other foreign investors the opportunity to receive materials from and participate in the voting process for Canadian reporting issuers. unique to Broadridge is our combined industry, regulatory and information technology expertise. Our clients rely on us to help them efficiently and cost-effectively comply with industry laws and regulations.
about broadrIdge Inc.
Broadridge Investor Communication solutions5970 Chedworth Way, mississauga, Ontario L5r 4g5905.507.5100 • 1.888.237.1900broadridge.com